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Star sapphire
With the exception of a clearly visible white asterism, the star sapphire generally has a blue color and is part of the corundum family. It is extracted from various places, including Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Myanmar, and Vietnam. These stones are also known as "stars on earth" stones or six-ray stones in the trade.
Star sapphire
DISCOVER THE STAR SAPPHIRE
The asterism that gives its name to the star sapphire is the main feature that distinguishes it from other types of sapphire. This precious stone is virtually impossible to confuse due to its robustness and durability, although there are a number of other precious stones whose brilliance and hue are similar. Star diopside and star garnet are the stones most often confused.
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PRECIOUS STONE ATTRIBUTES
| MINERAL | Corrundum |
| CHEMISTRY | Al 2 O 3 |
| COLOUR | Clear - Deep Blue |
| REFRACTIVE INDEX | 1.762 - 1.770 |
| BIREFRINGENCE | 0.008 - 0.010 |
| SPECIFIC GRAVITY | 4.00 |
| MOHS HARDNESS | 9.0 |
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VALUE OF THE STAR SAPPHIRE
Even though some star sapphire specimens have some translucency, these are extremely fine specimens. The star sapphire is generally opaque. The inclusions of rutile aligned with precision to resemble needles are the source of the asterism. Proper cutting and polishing give them a glassy to silky luster.
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COLOURS OF THE STAR SAPPHIRE
The blue gemstones, well known as sapphires, are also known as star sapphires. They also exist in black, pink, yellow, orange, green and lavender. Vanadium produces stones of purple to mauve color, while iron and titanium produce blue stones. Iron, in small amounts, produces yellow and green colors and tones, while chrome, in larger amounts, produces pink-red tones.
The most coveted color is blue, and the more vibrant and strong it is, the more coveted it is. Thai star sapphires are reputed to display a golden star rather than the typical white star. These corundums are no longer considered sapphires and turn into star rubies when the pink hue is intense and contains traces of chrome and iron.
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SOURCES OF THE STAR SAPPHIRE
Although there are several star sapphire deposits in Africa and Brazil, the most important deposits today are in Australia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
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PROPERTIES
With a Mohs hardness of 9.0, the star sapphire, also called corundum, is the second hardest precious stone after diamond, which has a hardness of 10.0, making it extremely durable for daily use.
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CARE OF STAR SAPPHIRES
The sapphire is the hardest natural stone after diamond in terms of hardness. In addition, it does not have cleavage planes. Therefore, it is an ideal stone for jewellery.